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architecture and design magazineTue, 31 Mar 2015 21:00:38 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Down the long driveway: New Zealand homes photographed by Mary Gaudinhttp://www.dezeen.com/2015/01/20/down-the-long-driveway-new-zealand-modernist-houses-photography-mary-gaudin/
http://www.dezeen.com/2015/01/20/down-the-long-driveway-new-zealand-modernist-houses-photography-mary-gaudin/#commentsTue, 20 Jan 2015 22:00:45 +0000http://admin.dezeen.com/?p=631988Photo essay: Montpellier-based photographer Mary Gaudin has created a series of images documenting mid-century residential architecture in New Zealand, her home country. Following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, which severely damaged New Zealand's second-largest city, Gaudin was struck by how many notable Modernist houses had been destroyed without record and she embarked on a project to capture those that […]

Photo essay: Montpellier-based photographer Mary Gaudin has created a series of images documenting mid-century residential architecture in New Zealand, her home country.

Following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, which severely damaged New Zealand's second-largest city, Gaudin was struck by how many notable Modernist houses had been destroyed without record and she embarked on a project to capture those that remain.

Her new book, entitled Down the long driveway, you'll see it, presents 14 residences completed between 1950 and 1974, all of which she believes remain true to the architect's vision. She hopes it will serve as a record of the "particular mix of craftsmanship and design" that is unique to the country's architecture.

The houses aren't new, they're old and lived in. They can be a little dusty, slightly worn around the edges and all have what antique dealers like to call "patina". But they're perfect in the minds of the people who live in them because of what they represent, which when designed, was a better way of living.

Sutton house, Christchurch by Tom Taylor, 1961

The idea for the project wasn't so much to document the houses in purely architectural terms, but to give an idea of the way these houses were and are lived in, as well as showing details of the designs and the materials used in their construction. The use of native timbers throughout these houses has given a unique feel to the interiors. In the Martin house, for example, John Scott used rimu for cupboard doors and matai, a wood which darkens with age, for the handles.

What we found were owners who understood and appreciated the idea of architecture

I wanted to look at the way these houses fitted into their surroundings. All of the Wellington homes are connected to native bush, attracting tuis, fantails and bellbirds amongst other native birds. The owners of the Einhorn house, which backs onto the Karori bird sanctuary, sometimes see rare hihi feeding in their garden. The front of the Manning house is surrounded by an enormous pohutukawa tree which, from inside the house, filters views out towards Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Ballantyne house, Christchurch by Warren & Mahoney, 1958

The starting point came after visiting friends and family in Christchurch after the 2011 earthquakes, and seeing how many Modernist houses had been badly damaged or completely destroyed. Added to this was the fact that I had been living overseas in London and France for 20 years and despite regular visits back to New Zealand, I wanted to undertake a photographic project which renewed connections for me.

Wood house, Wellington by Ted Wood, 1975

With this in mind, I contacted graphic designer Matthew Arnold for advice about the project and it soon became clear that he had a massive knowledge and love of New Zealand mid-century architecture. We decided to collaborate together and began collating a long list of homes. The criteria for the book was broad: that the homes were designed around the middle of the century, were modern in their day and remain so. And as long as they were relatively original and the architect's vision remained intact, they were candidates.

What was initially a long list, quickly became short as lot of the prospective homes had been altered, neglected or sadly, demolished. After hours of research on Matt's part and countless email exchanges, I travelled to New Zealand in the autumn of 2013 and spent a month photographing these houses.

The houses are perfect in the minds of the people who live in them because they represent a better way of living

What we found in the homes featured were owners who understood and appreciated the idea of architecture. They didn't hesitate to open up their doors, which can be a pretty invasive request, and they all seemed to have a strong sense of being custodians of their homes, rather than simply owners.

Sellars house, Christchurch by Guy Sellars, 1954

The title of the book – Down the long driveway, you'll see it – comes from a phrase in an email from Bruce Martin giving directions to his home at Bridge Paa. Filled with a lifetime's of pottery both from Bruce and Estelle's work, together with gifts from potter friends, the Martin's home highlights the particular mix of craftsmanship and design that is reminiscent of all the homes shown.

]]>http://www.dezeen.com/2015/01/20/down-the-long-driveway-new-zealand-modernist-houses-photography-mary-gaudin/feed/1Waiatarua House by Monk Mackenzie incorporates a wooden latticehttp://www.dezeen.com/2014/08/03/waiatarua-house-blackened-timber-gridded-screen-monk-mckenzie/
http://www.dezeen.com/2014/08/03/waiatarua-house-blackened-timber-gridded-screen-monk-mckenzie/#commentsSun, 03 Aug 2014 20:00:01 +0000http://admin.dezeen.com/?p=510135This black-stained timber house in Auckland, New Zealand, by local studio Monk Mackenzie features a gridded plywood screen that allows filtered light to enter the interior (+ slideshow). Waiatarua House was designed by Monk Mackenzie for a couple in their sixties who wanted a home with a greater connection to nature. Related story: Protruding glass […]

Situated on a steep sloping site in the city's Waiatarua nature reserve, the house comprises a series of stained cedar boxes that blend in with the shadows created by the surrounding trees.

"The design intentionally does not try to compete or mimic the wild beauty and intricacy expressed in the surrounding natural environment," said the architects, "but rather assumes a quiet, understated position in contrast."

Three wooden boxes contain different functions and step down towards a creek, with the roofs of each volume providing decked spaces outside the rooms on the level above.

An entrance at the central level leads to the living, kitchen and dining area, which is raised above the height of the tree canopy to make the most of the views while retaining a degree of privacy.

Full-height glazed walls incorporate sliding doors that join the living room with terraces on two sides.

A staircase ascends through the centre of the building, connecting the living space with the master bedroom above and two further bedrooms below.

A wood-burning stove next to the stairs heats the living room and incorporates a chimney flue that stretches up through the stairwell.

The staircase and ceilings in the living room are lined with American oak that has been bleached, sanded and oiled to enhance its natural grain. The light wood contrasts with the dark exterior and helps to reflect daylight entering through a skylight.

A landing at the top of the stairs is dedicated as a small study space, with shelving lining one wall.

The plywood screen fitted to the external wall outside this window limits views of the neighbouring property through a grid of angled surfaces.

The architect used thin birch veneer to minimise the thickness of the screen and create a rigid structure, which appears solid when viewed straight-on but changes in opacity when seen from different angles.

Throughout the interior, a limited material palette has been employed to give the home a unified and simple aesthetic, with natural finishes providing a warm and comfortable feel.

]]>http://www.dezeen.com/2014/08/03/waiatarua-house-blackened-timber-gridded-screen-monk-mckenzie/feed/0Monk Mackenzie and Glamuzina Patterson create angular giraffe shelter at Auckland Zoohttp://www.dezeen.com/2014/06/10/monk-mackenzie-and-glamuzina-patterson-create-angular-giraffe-shelter-at-auckland-zoo/
http://www.dezeen.com/2014/06/10/monk-mackenzie-and-glamuzina-patterson-create-angular-giraffe-shelter-at-auckland-zoo/#commentsTue, 10 Jun 2014 07:00:58 +0000http://admin.dezeen.com/?p=474054The two intersecting roofs of the Giraffe House at Auckland Zoo in New Zealand were designed to comfortably accommodate both its long-necked inhabitants and their human keepers (+ slideshow). New Zealand studios Monk Mackenzie and Glamuzina Patterson were asked to create a new giraffe breeding shelter to house the zoo's expanding herd. The brief called for an […]

The two intersecting roofs of the Giraffe House at Auckland Zoo in New Zealand were designed to comfortably accommodate both its long-necked inhabitants and their human keepers (+ slideshow).

New Zealand studios Monk Mackenzie and Glamuzina Patterson were asked to create a new giraffe breeding shelter to house the zoo's expanding herd. The brief called for an understated and low-cost shelter incorporating two dens with a separate area for the zookeepers.

"When designing for the tallest living terrestrial animal there is a wonderful opportunity to play up the verticality of space," said the architects. "We explored through the section the internal volumes to accommodate a number of functional and operational overlaps, and the disparity in scale of its occupants."

The building's slanted roofs clearly delineate the two internal dens and are intended to "accentuate the collision of human and giraffe scales".

A bright yellow door set in one of the lower sections of the black-stained timber facade provides an entrance for the zoo staff. The height of the ceiling rises from three metres to 10 metres, with the tallest surfaces incorporating six metre doors for the animals.

Clerestory windows above the doors allow natural light into the dens, while a similarly translucent section of wall next to the staff's entrance brightens the interior of the humans' domain.

A mezzanine overlooking both sides of the interior provides a viewing area where the keepers and small visitor groups can observe the giraffes at an appropriate height.

The interior was designed to be flexible, with moveable doors and walls allowing the spaces to be reconfigured to suit the changing needs of the animals.

The four huge sliding doors connect the dens with separate yards and incorporate hinged sections that can be swung open so the giraffes can pop their heads outside without leaving the shelter.

Simple construction techniques and a reduced palette of locally-sourced materials were employed to keep the project within budget.

Due to expanding giraffe numbers the Auckland Zoo needed a new a giraffe breeding shelter; essentially a functional oversized shed with two dens and a keeper area.

The design team responded to the brief by proposing a shelter that assumed an understated external appearance, whose mass was playfully broken down with intersecting roof forms that articulated the junction between the two dens whilst accentuating the collision of human and giraffe scales.

Studies were made through section of the internal volumes to accommodate a number of functional and operational overlaps, and the disparity in scale of its occupants.

The floor to ceiling rises from 3 to 10 meters, with humans entering into the keeper’s area at the low point of the roof. The elevations were a key formal driver of the design with careful consideration given the proportions of the 6 metre doors with integrated human door and clerestory windows.

Flexibility was a primary objective of the shelter – due to the changing functional and physiological needs of the giraffe. Moveable doors and walls allow the space to be transformed. The four sliding exterior doors open to different yards that can be configured to allow for separate roaming areas for the giraffes. Keepers and vets use the mezzanine level to observe and interact with the giraffes. It also allows for small visitor groups to safely view the giraffes.

Working to a tight budget, the view was taken that a unique, fit for purpose shelter could be produced using a simple, reduced palette of locally sourced materials and vernacular construction methodologies.

]]>http://www.dezeen.com/2014/06/10/monk-mackenzie-and-glamuzina-patterson-create-angular-giraffe-shelter-at-auckland-zoo/feed/3"We wanted to make a building that is embedded in New Zealand culture"http://www.dezeen.com/2013/10/15/movie-world-building-of-the-year-2013-auckland-art-gallery-frances-jones-morehen-thorp/
http://www.dezeen.com/2013/10/15/movie-world-building-of-the-year-2013-auckland-art-gallery-frances-jones-morehen-thorp/#commentsTue, 15 Oct 2013 18:03:55 +0000http://admin.dezeen.com/?p=372287Movie: in this exclusive interview Australian architect Richard Francis-Jones explains the importance of local materials at Auckland Art Gallery, which was crowned World Building of the Year at World Architecture Festival in Singapore earlier this month. Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki in New Zealand, which also won the culture category this year at World Architecture Festival's […]

"It's a turn-of-the-century building, it kind of embodies a colonial attitude to a European settlement," says Francis-Jones of the original gallery.

"This new project gave us an opportunity to rethink that, to recast it in current values, to create a bi-cultural gallery that can have a much more holistic relationship to New Zealand society."

The extension provides the gallery with a new entrance, atrium and gallery space, areas that are covered by large wooden canopies made from the indigenous kauri tree.

Francis-Jones says that it was very important for the design team to create a building that related to its local surroundings.

"One of the great challenges we face as architects in this age is that our materials and our systems are sourced from all over the world," he says. "But we were seeking to make a building that was really embedded in this place, in this culture."

He continues: "To create these canopies we wanted to use a material that was very precious and meaningful to New Zealand, so we used natural kauri. It's got to be one of the most beautiful timbers you've ever seen in your life and it's a timber of great significance and meaning to Maori culture."

"But, of course, it's a protected species, so we had to source it from fallen kauri or recycled kauri. We had to use it very sparingly."

Photograph by Luke Hayes

The large glass walls of the building are designed to allow clear views outside to the surrounding landscape.

"The building, in a sense, creates a connection between the natural landscape and the city," says Francis-Jones.

"Our effort was to strive to make a building that was transparent in a way, to create a building that was more open, inclusive and connected with the landscape. It is a more open interpretation of New Zealand's future."

Photograph by Luke Hayes

World Architecture Festival 2013 took place at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore from 2-4 October. Next year's World Architecture Festival will take place at the same venue from 1-3 October 2014. Award entries are open from February to June 2014.

]]>http://www.dezeen.com/2013/10/15/movie-world-building-of-the-year-2013-auckland-art-gallery-frances-jones-morehen-thorp/feed/0Auckland Art Gallery wins World Building of the Year 2013http://www.dezeen.com/2013/10/04/world-building-of-the-year-2013-winner-auckland-art-gallery/
http://www.dezeen.com/2013/10/04/world-building-of-the-year-2013-winner-auckland-art-gallery/#commentsFri, 04 Oct 2013 14:41:39 +0000http://admin.dezeen.com/?p=367891World Architecture Festival 2013: the Auckland Art Gallery by Australian studio Frances-Jones Morehen Thorp has been awarded World Building of the Year at the World Architecture Festival in Singapore. Frances-Jones Morehen Thorp's Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki in New Zealand was designed in association with New Zealand studio Archimedia as an extension and refurbishment of […]

Frances-Jones Morehen Thorp's Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki in New Zealand was designed in association with New Zealand studio Archimedia as an extension and refurbishment of the existing gallery, creating a new entrance and doubling the amount of flexible exhibition space.

Roofs over the forecourt, atrium and gallery spaces appear to float at different heights, patterned with wood panels on their undersides.

These canopies are designed to mirror the trees at nearby Albert Park, which can be seen through the large transparent walls of the exhibition spaces.

"Our inspiration was the beautiful natural landscape," FJMT design director Richard Francis-Jones said after the announcement. "We saw the building as embedded in place. We wanted to use natural local materials, especially the beautiful kauri trees. But because these are protected, we could only use fallen trees or recycled wood.

‘The building is all about New Zealand, and it has the work of great Maori artists embedded in it."

When the project won the Culture category at the awards yesterday, the WAF judges said: "This is a highly sensitive addition to Auckland Art Gallery which reanimates and reinvigorates the existing building. It responds brilliantly to context and site and gives the gallery a new architectural identity."